The present invention relates to a mode control device for tape recorders, particularly for dictating machines.
There have heretofore been provided various control devices for controlling the operational modes of tape recorders. For example, a so-called piano-key type in which keys are depressed and a pushbutton type are well known.
However, in the prior art control devices, each pushbutton or key corresponds only to a single functional mode. Accordingly, a number of pushbuttons or keys must be provided. This requires a complicated and sometimes inconvenient operation. That is, it is necessary to select a single desired button or key after visual confirmation that the button or key corresponds to the desired operational mode. Furthermore, although recently a large degree of miniaturization of tape recorders has been achieved, the need for plural buttons or keys has hitherto made it impossible to further miniaturize tape recorders. This is due to the fact that if the buttons or keys are made smaller than a size which is convenient for the human finger, the operationability of the tape recorder deteriorates.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a compact mode control device for tape recorders, particularly for dictating machines, which is superior in operationability and can be easily manipulated with one hand.